Did you hear Maggie Dewitte’s speech?

[Pulse Life Advocates executive director, Maggie DeWitte, delivered these remarks at the Pulse Christmas Gala on November 18th, 2023.]

Thank you to Ryan Buck for producing this powerful video of our first Post-Roe Iowa March for Life. I have watched this video multiple times in hopes I could avoid the tears speaking with you tonight, but no such luck.

It just shakes you up a bit and puts things in perspective – it is about life; and you can’t get much bigger or more important than that.

Pulse Life Advocates- Iowa’s longest-standing, state-wide, pro- life organization. I feel incredibly proud, in the most humblest of ways, and blessed and honored to be working and fighting for life on behalf of Pulse over the last 13 years. 

Thank you to our Gala committee for putting this wonderful event together! Thank you to our board of directors. Please stand and be recognized! A special thanks to the staff of Pulse, Sarah Schiltz, Tom & Karen Quiner. Most importantly- thank you all for coming this evening. 

The year in perspective

Every year in preparation for my time with you this evening, I get an opportunity to evaluate last year. What worked, what can be improved and ultimately- did we move the needle? Did we change hearts and minds? Was a culture of life created? And when I ponder this- my knee-jerk reaction is- we didn’t do enough- we could have done more.  But then I am reminded of the words of St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta:

“God did not call me to be successful, but rather to be faithful.”

And so it is for all of you. 

We are living in a Post-Roe America. Praise God! And while that was the biggest victory for the pro-life movement in 50 years; our fight continues just in new ways. And Pulse is there every step of the way, leading the charge.

Shock

The election a few weeks ago left the pro-life movement in shock. In Ohio for example, 57% of the voters led to a double- digit win for a radical proposal amending the state constitution to sanction abortion with no limits to the moment of birth. Pro-lifers were outspent 2 to 1 with mostly outside money flowing into Ohio. Coupled with deceptive media that ran pro-choice TV ads that lied to Ohio voters as to what would happen if they didn’t enshrine abortion into their state constitution. 

The other side has been masterful at disguising, sanitizing and downright lying to the American people about what abortion really is. They use words like ‘reproductive freedom’ and ‘women’s rights’ to confuse people about what is really happening: the horrific, violent traumatic end of an innocent human life in the womb. There is no other way to describe it except that it is pure evil. 

The pro-life movement needs to give America a positive vision of protecting life instead of the removal of a so-called right. We focused so long and hard on the legal end; we need to focus equally hard on educating on the moral end. We have almost been apologizing for the Dobbs decision and touting moderation on life as the answer. 

No compromise

Let’s be absolutely clear- the other side is not seeking compromise or moderation. They are rather pushing extreme, radical death for any reason. The abortion industry’s mantra used to be safe, legal, and rare. Now it’s infanticide and taxpayers should foot the bill. 

But we will win when we expose the extremism of the other side and contrast that with the compassion and the love of the pro- life movement.

There can be no consensus or compromise with murder. Period. Full stop.

Subtle as a sledge hammer

It is not a political liability to be pro-life and it is NOT a losing issue! Life begins at conception, and there is nothing complicated about that. This is about what is right and wrong, and we need to speak with moral confidence!

We must be unafraid. Its either killing a baby or it isn’t. We cannot tip toe around the issue. 

And we at Pulse are not tip toeing around anything! For those who know me well, I am about as subtle as a sledgehammer on this issue! And we are going to keep pounding away using every opportunity to spread our message of life!

This summer we had a special session thanks to our incredible pro-life Governor Kim Reynolds, where we passed– for the second time– the heartbeat law- Pulse was there. We testified, we rallied, we prayed, and we witnessed. 

When the Des Moines City Council tried to make abortion a city issue-Pulse was there!

When women go into Planned Parenthood – Pulse is there praying and witnessing.

When Iowans visit the Iowa State Fair- Pulse is there educating with teen bags and fetal models!

When people across the country travel to Washington DC to the March for Life- Pulse is there.

When your children need education on life issues- Pulse is there with our Respect Life Curriculum.

And when anyone needs up-to-date information on state and local issues-Pulse is there with our cutting-edge website, weekly blogs, and rich social media content.

New project

Our newest video project is called, “How to Raise Pro-Life Children.”  Here is a trailer of this project. [See video above.]

This is what you have come to expect from Pulse. We are not fighting for a hypothetical or an ideal. We are fighting for people’s lives.

You are all here tonight because you know this. You know in your heart that this is the greatest human rights issue of our time. You know that without us standing in the gap, more lives will be destroyed by the lie of abortion. Pulse is in it for the long haul- heck we have been fighting for over 50 years, we are sure not going to stop now. We cannot be disheartened — and certainly cannot back down.

You heard me tonight talk about the losses in Ohio and other states experienced defeats on the life issue. The prevailing theme in all those losses was lack of financial resources and being outspent by large margins. 

Do not let Iowa become Ohio

I am begging you tonight, do not let Iowa become like Ohio. Commit tonight to join Pulse in our work to create a culture of life. Commit tonight to help us in our efforts and support us with your time, talent, and treasure. 

I promise you that we will not give up until we have equal protection under the law for all- including our pre-born brothers and sisters.

In today’s society, the value of human life has been diminished; but God, who sees the works of His hands with enduring love, whispers to each of us His plan and purpose for our time here on Earth. He speaks to our heart and tells us what work He has committed to us that He has not committed to another. He tells us that our life has meaning and value. He reminds us that we are only dust—but we are beloved dust!

Please pray for us. We need it. Thank you and God Bless!

[Help Pulse remain on offense in promoting a culture of life in Iowa. Support our pro-life educational outreach now. Don’t wait. The stakes are high.]